Survival
by Serosa
Summary: He is the one their world has been wating for. Their savior, their last chance... the last survivor. AU, fantasy, KaixRei and TalaxBryan.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I Don't Own Beyblade… or Dungeons and Dragons._**

_**Survival**_

_**Ch. 1:**_

A scream floated through the silent night. It was no terrifying scream, but more of a call for someone to answer. It almost sounded like and eagle, but more majestic. As far as anyone knew, this one might have been the last of its kind. For as the rumors went; this one had been the only survivor of a massacre years ago.

_A young child, covered in the blood of his own family, desperately shook an older woman, trying to bring life into the cold body._

"_Mama… Mama… Wake up, mama… Please wake up…"_

_Those were the words repeated over and over again. Tears ran freely down the child's cheeks as he tried to understand why his mother wouldn't wake. From behind him a pair of deep blue eyes watched in sorrow, until finally the owner of those blue eyes made her decision and moved forward, placing her hand on the small boy's shoulder._

_As she had expected, the boy flinched and looked at her with fear._

"_Shh… Calm down, young one. I will not hurt you," she whispered with a soft smile. The boy did not trust her, but he seemed to calm down at least a little._

"_Is that your mother," the woman asked, nodding towards the dead one. The boy nodded._

"_Yes… But she won't wake up," he said sadly, too young to actually understand what was wrong._

"_Then we should let her sleep," the woman said. "She's probably very tired."_

_The woman lifted the boy into her arms and turned around to see three pairs of eyes watching her._

"_We cannot keep the boy," a man with red hair and green eyes said. The woman walked up to him, still carrying the child._

"_But he is so young… We cannot leave him here," she said. "Please, love… Bury his parents and I will take care of the boy. Alone if I must…"_

_With a sigh the man nodded and motioned the older of his two companions to come and help him with the task. The woman felt someone tug at her tunic. Looking down, her eyes met ice blue ones._

"_Is he gonna stay with us, mom?" the young boy with the ice blue eyes asked. The woman nodded._

"_Yes, he is…" Then she turned to look at the child in her arms. "What is your name, young one?"_

_The boy answered and was rewarded with a soft smile._

"_That is a nice name… You are a very brave boy, you know that…"_

The call echoed through the night once again, a bit more urgent this time. It had yet to receive an answer.

Soon a wolf's howl could be heard from not far away. That was the answer the bird had been waiting for. The answer from his brother.

Or as the rumors had it, the last person to ever be counted as his family.

"_Run, my children! Flee! The hunters are here!" the woman with deep blue eyes shouted. She had three children; two of them her own, one adopted._

_The oldest one, of her own blood, was helping the others defend their home lair. **Her** job was to get her two younger children to safety. The two boys ran with the woman following close after, until an arrow was shot into her leg. After hearing a thump from behind them, the boys stopped and looked at their fallen mother._

_Ice blue eyes widened and one of the boys ran back to the woman, closely followed by his brother._

"_Mom! Get up! We have to run!" he shouted, trying to make the woman move. She only smiled._

"_I will not be able to run anymore. But you have to go… Now," she said. The blue-eyed boy shook his head in denial. Seeing her son hesitate she grabbed her adoptive son's hand and said:_

"_Take your brother and run. Do not look back. I need you to survive."_

"_Yes, mother," the boy with deep red eyes answered. Then she hugged her children._

"_I love you both," she whispered. "Now go!"_

"_Mom!" the blue-eyed protested, but his younger brother grabbed his hand and started running. Behind them they could hear the hunters kill anything that wasn't human._

The sun was rising over the mountains, as well as the small village hidden among them, the village named "Daemon".

Slowly the beings in the village started to wake.

"Rise and shine, baby-bro..!" After a small pause the teen added: "Mr. Dickhead is waiting for us, you know."

The redheaded teen as currently addressing a middle sized lump on a bed, covered by a thin blanket. A muffled "What th' **hell** are ya talkin' 'bout" could barely be heard. The redheaded boy pouted slightly before his blue eyes lit with mischief and he pulled the blanket off his 'brother', and the bed, only to find a pair of deep red eyes glaring at him.

"Get up, Kai. I'm serious," the older teen said. "Dickhead's already got the group waiting for us."

The younger teen named Kai sat up and rubbed one crimson eye before running a hand through his messed-up, two colored blue hair.

"At times, I find you truly annoying, Tala," he said with a sigh.

"I know," Tala answered, smirking. "And I love you too, baby-bro…" Still smirking, the redhead ducked from a pillow that was sent flying his way and fled from the room.

Commonly, these two "brothers" were known to be cold and heartless, but that was only the image these teens gave to the rest of the villagers of Daemon. When alone in their home, they were actually quite… normal… in lack of a better word.

The village they lived in was filled with demons, hiding from the human hunters that threatened to exterminate them. Of course there lived a few humans in the village as well, but only because they had either been friends or happened to fall in love with a demon, and because of such a crime been banned from the human society.

Kai and Tala, two brothers of different parents, were now to attend a quest that would change the faith of demons. A new adventure was about to begin.

_**TBC…**_

**_The village name, Daemon, is Latin, meaning demon. So… what did you think? I'm going to be following a certain Dungeons and Dragons book at the beginning, but then I'll go completely solo, I promise…_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ch. 2:**_

Mr. Dickenson, or Dickhead as Tala liked to call him, was sitting on his throne in the great hall. He was an old, bald human with no sense for adventure. But currently, he was the ruler of the hidden village of the last demons, since the real king had gone missing, and most probably died. Before him stood four young teens, three of them demons, and one human.

"So you understand your mission?" Mr. Dickenson, Mr. D. for short, asked the teens.

"To get the gold from the gobbling-men," Tyson, a young boy with indigo hair and brown eyes said. Mr. D. nodded.

"And you understand why," he asked, just to be sure.

"So that we can pay the wraiths for keeping the hunters away from out village, so that they won't leave us," the oldest teen, Rei, answered. He was tall, with long black hair and golden eyes. Mr. D. nodded again.

"Good. Your leader and his brother should be here soon," he said. Almost immediately after this was said, the great doors to the hall swung open and two demons stepped trough.

The one walking first was dressed in a long dark blue cape, with the hood pulled to hide his face. The other one had an a little shorter, silver white cape, with a long scarf attached. The scarf was tied so that it covered the demons mouth and nose, but at least one could see that this one had red hair and ice blue eyes.

"Kai and Tala," Mr. D. greeted them. "Punctual as always…" Kai and Tala greeted him with a nod before turning to look at the four teens.

Something about that hooded demon sent shivers down Rei's sensitive spine.

"These will be your companions," Mr. D. said, gesturing towards the group. "Rei, Tyson, Max and Kenny."

"A human?" the hooded one, Kai, noted. Mr. D. nodded.

"He is a priest in training, but has the knowledge of almost every race on this earth," the old man explained. Kai nodded.

"Hope you brought everything necessary," he said. "We'll be leaving immediately." But Tyson protested.

"'Immediately'…? But can't we eat first?" he whined.

"No," Kai said in a cold voice.

"But…" Tyson started to protest.

"**Kai** is the leader, not you, dragon-boy," Tala snapped. "If he says we'll leave now, then that is what we will do."

Rei's eyes widened. They had been in the same room for only a few moments, and already the redhead, Tala, had known Tyson's race. These two should not be underestimated…

So, with bags filled with everything necessary for the quest, the six travelers left their safe little village of beasts. As it was, only Tala, Kai and Rei had ever been outside the village, and the tree of them where the only ones who didn't gawk at everything they saw. Even Kenny, who was a human, had never been outside the Deamon's gates. He was born inside the village. It was just too risky for an inexperienced to be outside.

Tyson grinned and placed a hand on his broad sword. His grandfather had taught him to fight, and now at last he'd be able to show his skills. The boy cast a glance at their hooded leader; he wasn't carrying any type of weapon from what Tyson could see. Neither was his "brother".

'Mr. D. said they're brothers… but their energy signals are different,' the dragon-demon though as he followed the others through the rocky landscape. 'I just don't get it…'

Suddenly Kai stopped and motioned for the others to get low.

"Kai..?" Tala asked in a whisper next to his brother. Kai motioned for Tala to take a look and as the redhead noticed the problem his expression darkened. Being the cat-demon he was, Rei had no difficulties sneaking soundlessly next to the two leaders.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"A troll," Kai answered. "A small one… of the slightly more intelligent sort…"

"It's still stupider than a walnut," Tala said with a snigger.

"Why don't you go tell it that," Kai said with a sigh. "I'm sure it'll be thrilled.

"Don't mind if I do," Tala whispered and was about to stand up and walk over to the troll when Kai grabbed his cape.

"Where do you think your going," he growled. "Small trolls may not be able to multiply by ripped of body parts, but they regenerate instead." Kai pulled Tala with him back to the others and turned to look at Kenny.

"You're a priest, aren't you," he stated more than asked. "What spells do you know?"

"I-I'm still in practice," Kenny answered. "Mr. Dickenson sent me as a guide, since we're not allowed to bring maps… but I know an effective sleeping spell."

Kai and Tala looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Stay here," Kai ordered his companions. Then he looked straightly t Rei. "Make sure none of them gets in my way." The eyes under the hood glinted in a deep red color and Rei could but nod. Satisfied, Kai and Tala moved away from their hiding place and walked towards the troll, who still had to notice them.

As earlier noted, it was of the smaller race of trolls. About six foot tall, with grayish brown, rough hair all over its body, small black pig eyes, long ears and the nose just as long as its ears. In other words, it was ugly. In its long fingered hand it held a thick branch, covered with dried blood and pieces of old skin and hair.

"What's going on?" Tyson asked and crawled towards where Rei was seated, watching the two brothers from behind a pair of boulders.

"A troll," he answered silently. "A small one, but still…"

Tyson, Max and Kenny looked at the creature Kai and Tala were heading towards.

"**That**… is a small one?" Tyson asked while taking in the six foot tall being.

"Normal trolls can be up to nine or ten foot tall," Kenny said.

"Wait, are those two going to fight against it **alone**!" Max asked with wide eyes. "They're both going to get killed!"

"I don't know… "Rei murmured. "Kai told s to wait here so I guess they've got a plan."

They watched as Kai raised his right hand so that his palm was pointing towards the troll, while Tala moved to stand in front of him.

"Hey!" The redhead shouted, attracting the troll's attention. "You're no smarter that a walnut!" The troll let out a grunt and started running towards Tala who moved out of the way so that the troll was charging Kai in stead. But before the troll even got to the point of lifting its branch and pummel Kai into a bloody pulp, flames shot out from the teen's palm and hit the troll on its chest, spreading quickly. Kai lowered his hand and they all watched as the troll burned to ashes that spread with wind.

Max and Tyson ran out from behind the rocks.

"Wow! How'd you **do** that?" Tyson exclaimed while running forward.

"Mr. D. didn't tell us you could do magic!" Max said, equally exited. Kai just turned and started walking next to Tala.

"Let's move on," he said, not looking back. Behind him, Max and Tyson looked at each other and then at Rei who just shrugged and followed their leader.

The small group of adventurers traveled through secret paths among the mountains. They hadn't even come halfway down when Tyson started whining about being hungry and tired and whatnot. But Kai didn't seem to listen. Nor Tala for that matter... The two of them walked a few steps in front of the others, discussing what route to take. Finally after what seemed like an eternity the group came to the base of the mountains. This time it was Tala who signaled everyone to take cover.

"There appears to be some sort of village over there," the redhead said. The other five followed his gaze and their eyes settled on a group of wooden houses surrounded by a wooden wall, meant to keep intruders away.

"Humans..?" Max asked.

"Hunters, maybe..?" Kenny suggested.

"I don't think so…" Tala answered, sniffing the air like a dog. Rei did the same.

"It smells…" the black-haired started, wrinkling his nose.

"…Rotten," Tala finished for him.

"Orcs…" Kai said. He was staring intently at the small village. "I can see one of them now…" Tyson took a look as well.

"Yup, he's right. They're orcs alright," the dragon stated.

"Let's go," Kai said and moved away from their hiding place. "We must continue our journey." The others agreed, and all six of them entered the thick forest that surrounded the mountains.

**_TBC…_**

**Taiy-Chan:** Feels weird to update this for only one reviewer… and a bit sad… But oh well, I'm grateful for what I've got…


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ch. 3:**_

Rei immediately felt more secure when the small group entered the forest, as was natural for a tiger-demon like him. Tala seemed more relaxed as well.

Now feeling more at ease, Rei let his thoughts wander. Not long after he found himself thinking about the two brothers. They still hadn't told anyone their specie. Of course Rei had realized that the redhead was a wolf-demon. It was in the smell, as well as ki. But the other remained a mystery. The more Rei tried to figure it out, the more he found himself thinking about the deep red eyes he had seen earlier, when a slight ray of light had managed to touch them. It was a deep, rich color, like rubies or blood… or fire.

The tiger snapped out from his daydream when he sensed a presence approaching them.

"Wait…" he said, motioning for the others to stop. "There's something heading this way."

"I feel it too," Kenny announced. "It's a demon aura."

"What do we do?" Max asked. Everyone turned towards their leader for an answer.

"We wait," Kai simply stated. No one except for Tala could believe what they heard. 'We wait'? But… there must have been a good reason why he was chosen to be the leader, so that's what they did. They waited.

It didn't take long before a tall young man with purple hair walked out from among the threes. He was wearing simple traveling clothes of soft leather, and carried a spear slightly taller than he was.

"What are you doing here?" he asked harshly. "These are **my** lands!"

"Oh shut it, Bryan," the mysterious group leader snapped, crossing his arms before his chest. Bryan seemed slightly stunned before narrowing his gray eyes.

"Kai…? That you…?" he questioned.

"Not just Kai!" Tala shouted gleefully and pulled down his scarf, exposing his face for the first time since he had left home. Bryan's expression went from suspicious to shocked to happy in a matter of seconds. Also in a matter of seconds, Tala had run forward and flung his arms around Bryan to give the boy a nice, passionate kiss on the lips.

"What are you two doing here," the purple-haired asked, looking at Tala then Kai and back at Tala again.

We're on a mission to find a 'treasure'," Tala told him.

"…Treasure..?" Bryan asked.

"Yup, 'treasure'," Tala confirmed.

"Okay… Hey, Kai, you know the way to the camp," Bryan shouted to the cloaked boy. "Why don't you take your 'team' there and I'll take Tala for a walk, okay?" The two boys took off, not even waiting for an answer. Not that there would have been one anyway…

"Uh… Kai..?" Tyson started to ask, but Kai held up his hand.

"Bryan is Tala's mate, so we can trust him," the hooded one said. "We'll rest at the camp and continue tomorrow morning." Once again he left little room to argue.

After a few minutes of walking in silence the group entered a clearing with a distinct fireplace in the middle and a few logs dragged around it.

"Tyson, get a fire going," Kai ordered and carried an armful of dried wood over to the blackened ring of stones. "Max, there's a small river over there, go fill the veils. Rei, you go with him." Everyone did as they had been told, too tired to argue.

The sun was setting quickly and soon the five adventurers sat comfortably around a warm fire.

"So, Rei," Tyson interrupted the silence, trying to make a conversation. "You're some sort of cat-demon, then?" Rei nodded and smiled.

"Yeah… I'm a tiger to be precise," he said.

"Wait! Now I know where I've seen you before!" Max suddenly exclaimed. "You're the alpha of the cat-demon clan!" Rei squirmed a little when all eyes settled on him. He would have preferred that little detail to have stayed a secret.

"I would… rather not be in that position…" he mumbled and looked away. Rei knew that the moment he claimed his place as leader of the cat-demon clan Mr. D. would no longer have authority over his kind. And he would be forced to take Mariah as his mate. If only the rightful King of the demons still lived…

The young human priest sensed Rei's discomfort and decided to change the subject.

"What about you Max?" Kenny asked. "Care to tell us about your race and family?" The blond nodded gleefully.

"I'm a shield-demon!" he declared happily. "There isn't much to say about my family… My parents are mages, working on improving our village's defenses! Somehow the magic in their blood hasn't showed up in mine… Now you go, Kenny." The brown-haired boy nodded.

"Well… I'm human… and a priest in training…" he said, though the others already knew that. "My parents aren't that interesting. Mom's sister married a demon, and neither she nor dad saw anything wrong in it, so they were outlawed from their home village. How about you, Tyson?" The indigo-haired boy grinned.

"I'm a full-blooded Dragon!" he announced. "And my grandpa is a respected warrior! Or at least was… He's become a bit senile with his old age and all…" The boy turned towards their silent leader. "So, Kai... I guess it's your turn next." The head under the blue hood turned slightly as Kai glanced at the team. The movement made one slim fraction of slate blue hair fall into the light from the fire.

"My life is none of your business," the teen said in a cold, slightly monotype voice.

"Shees… I was only asking…" Tyson said with hurt in his voice.

Then the last of the comfortable feeling was broken when two demons entered the clearing.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" one of them, a young man with blond hair asked.

"Where's Bryan," the other, blue-haired, demanded to know.

"Ivan… Spencer… Shut up," Kai said calmly. The two boys blinked and almost simultaneously asked:

"Kai…?"

Then Kai did something none of the travelers had expected, but secretly (or not so secretly) hoped. He pulled back his hood.

The two-colored slate blue hair fell down over his shoulders and red eyes that seemed glow in the light from the fire. Rei stared at his leader along with the others. He was gorgeous!

A sudden thought struck Kenny. Kai didn't look at all like his brother, Tala, and the human couldn't help but point it out.

"Not that it's any of your business," Kai stated coldly. "But Tala isn't my real brother. I was adopted into his family." A small "oh" passed the group and everyone fell silent. …Except for Ivan and Spencer.

"So, Kai... What are you doing here?" Spencer, the blonde, asked.

"And who are your friends, and where's Tala?" Ivan wondered. Kai closed his eyes as he answered:

"Tala is with Bryan. This is our team; Rei, Tyson, Max and Kenny. Dickhead sent us on a mission. Bryan will give you the details."

Rei, Kenny, Tyson and Max all blinked. Their leader had managed to give a pretty exact answer with just a few sentences. It was… interesting. Kai turned his head a little to look at his team.

"Go to sleep," he said. "You're going to need your strength tomorrow."

Perhaps it was just Rei's imagination, but did Kai's eyes dwell on him longer than the others?

Not that far away, Tala and Bryan were walking towards the firelight, while talking with lowered voices.

"So… you understand why we can't tell the team…" Tala asked and glanced at his mate. Bryan nodded.

"Yeah… I agree with Dickhead on this… It would be too dangerous…" he said. The purple-haired teen was staring straight ahead with a frown. "I guess… our future is in your hands… It's a scary thought."

Tala was silent at first, but then he hugged Bryan's arm and smiled.

"Nothing to worry about!" he half said half giggled. "To think we've always protected Kai, and now he's the one to protect us…" Bryan smiled faintly and nodded.

The adventurers' first night out in the wild went peacefully.

_**TBC…**_

_**(stares at reviewers in awe.) First I had only one reviewer, and suddenly I have a whole herd…!**_

**siliana blue:** Thanks, and I'll do my best.

**animeobsession:** Thank you!

**Hi:** Okay, I'll take your advice.

**Lyndsey:** What a coincidence, I write fan fictions and read the reviews to help deal with my problems… It gives me a feeling that someone listens.

**Taiy-Chan:** Apparently you're right… (stares at the stack of reviews)

**Random Fan:** Thanks! I really appreciate it!

**AnimeBando33:** Original or not, thank you.

**Shadow Vampiress:** Thanks! I was a bit saddened by the lack of response in the beginning… something like "Is it (the story) really that bad?" went through my head. But I'm glad people seem to like it after all!

**Eris Firefly:** Thank you. I appreciate it.

**MiyoriEyEs:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

**tntiggris:** ? I don't think that made any sense…

**I'm only awake when a full…:** Yeah, I can guess the rest. I'm glad you like the story, and of course I'll continue!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ch. 4**_

Kai stretched his arms above his head and looked around the camp. Everyone else were still sleeping peacefully.

Tyson lay sprawled out on the ground, somehow managing to snuggle against Max. Kenny lay on his side, mumbling something in his sleep every now and then. Tala was spooned up with Bryan, who held a possessive arm around the redhead. Ivan and Spencer were also sharing body heat, though it wasn't as intimate as Bryan and Tala. And lastly Rei, who lay curled up like the cat he was. Rei, the male alpha of the cat-demon clan….

'After we complete our mission, the cat-demon clan will be difficult to calm down,' Kai thought. .'All cat-demons wish to rebel against the demon society. Can out quest really change that?'

In truth, Kai was disappointed. Rei seemed like a good demon. Kai could even admit that he liked Rei. Too bad all cat-demons were so against Daemon and its rules.

Kai rose up to stand and was about to leave the camp in order to be alone and think, but unfortunately, though not surprisingly, Rei woke up from the small movement. The tiger looked at Kai curiously.

"Kai…?" he questioned. The blunette motioned for him to be quiet and follow. Soundlessly, the two left the camp.

"Kai…?" Rei asked again once they were out of hearing range from the camp.

"May I ask something, Rei," the mysterious leader wondered. Rei nodded. "Why does the cat-demon clan rebel against our society? Why do you want to isolate yourselves?" It took a moment for Rei to realize that Kai was asking him as the **leader** of the clan… Something he was not… yet. Knowing that the question was just, he swallowed a sharp retort that tried to make its way to his tongue.

"It's not my choice," the cat-demon answered. "I'm not the leader of our clan, so I have no say in the matter. Personally I just wish the king wouldn't have gone missing… Perhaps then the cat-demon clan wouldn't feel so wrong, following under the orders of a human…" Kai was silent for a while.

"And if the king would suddenly return?" he then asked. "How would your clan react?" Rei just shrugged, ignoring the 'your' part for now.

"They'd be… suspicious, I guess," he answered. Again, Kai was silent.

"Why do you ask?" Rei wondered. Kai turned his head and looked at Rei. For the briefest moment deep red eyes looked straight into golden yellow, and then Kai shook his head and walked away.

"Just curious," the red-eyed mystery said over his shoulder. Rei stayed where he was, willing away the tingling feeling in his stomach, created by the fiery eyes.

When Rei finally managed to make his way back to the camp he noticed that Kai was nowhere in sight. Not only that; Tala and Bryan were gone as well. The rest of the group was just waking up.

_A deep, luxurious green forest of old, hundred year old trees. A foaming waterfall and a glittering crystal blue river. And in the mid of it all, a beautiful young being with two toned blue hair._

Kai was bathing. Considering who he was, he should have abhorred water, but it was quite the contrary. He just didn't like exposing his skin to anyone. Looking down, Kai let his fingers run over a scar on his chest. He didn't even remember when or where he'd gotten it, but his mother had told him it was from when his real parents had been brutally killed.

A slight rustling alerted him of the newcomers, but he didn't even care to look. He already knew who it was.

"Hey, baby-bro! Mind if we join you?" Tala asked. The redhead was already pulling of his clothes. Bryan followed suit.

"I can't really stop you, can I," Kai answered with the smallest smile gracing his lips. Once reaching his brother, Tala placed a hand on Kai's shoulder.

"You alright?" he wondered.

"We all know it's not going to be easy…" Bryan spoke up. "The other demons…this entire **quest**… It can't be easy."

Kai took his time looking at his two closest friends. Then he took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah… it's difficult for me too," Tala said and gave the shoulder a slight squeeze. "But then again, we've always known this would happen sooner or later."

Back at the camp, everyone was finally awake. Even Tyson, who like all dragons was a deep sleeper.

"So where's our fearless leader now?" the dragon asked, looking around as if expecting Kai to jump out from a hide any minute.

"I don't know," Max answered. "Tala and Bryan were gone too when I woke up, and now Ivan and Spencer have disappeared too."

"Did you see anything, Rei? You were the first one to wake up," Kenny wondered. All eyes turned to the tiger.

"Well… I did talk with Kai for a while, but then we split up," Rei answered.

"Really..? You actually talked **with** that sourpuss?" Tyson asked, faking a heart attack. "And I thought he didn't know how to talk…!"

"He's not that bad," Max interfered. "He's just a bit silent."

"He freaks me out," Tyson half grumbled.

"He's really not that bad," Rei agreed with Max, making Tyson gape and stare at him, while the others simply looked at him, curious of what the cat had found out. "I mean… Yeah, he's really quiet and mysterious… but he seems to know what's important. You know… like for this quest. And for Daemon." The others continued to look at Rei oddly.

"Rei… Your eyes are glowing," Tyson said. "And it's actually that 'mysterious' part of Kai that's really freaky!"

"I think it suits him somehow," Rei answered without thinking. "And besides, he- Wait, my eyes are what?"

"Glowing…" Max and Tyson said at the same time. Kenny was silent as he thought something over in his head. Rei felt his cheeks heat up. Whenever a feline demon's eyes glow, it is a sign of affection. Rei could only hope the other two demons didn't know that. Kenny, of course knew since he was a priest and all. But the human was too good mannered to say anything.

And then… salvation!

Out of the forest walked Kai, Tala, Bryan, Ivan and Spencer. Kai still had his hood pulled back, revealing unruly blue hair and fiery crimson eyes. Tala hadn't bothered to cover his pretty face either.

'I am **not** drawn to Kai… I am **not** drawn to Kai… I am **not** drawn to Kai… I am **not**…' Rei kept on chanting in his head, hoping that it was true, though a part of him knew he was just in denial.

"Grab your bags, we're moving on," Kai ordered the team. "We should reach the forest border by night fall."

"Let's go!" Tala exclaimed and clapped his hands twice before lifting his bag. Kai took his bag without a sound and both of them left the clearing with the three forest demons following.

Tyson, Kenny, Max and Rei hurried to pack their stuff and follow the others.

Rei couldn't help it. Every now and then he just had to cast a glance at their group leader. It didn't take long before Tala noticed this. The redhead leaned closer to his "baby-bro" and whispered:

"You have an admirer…" Kai looked at Tala, not quite understanding.

"That tiger-demon's been looking at you," the wolf explained.

"Oh, him…" Kai answered and looked away, uninterested.

"What do you mean 'oh, him'?" Tala whispered back. "He's hot and he likes you!"

"He's probably wondering why I asked him about the cat-demon clan," Kai whispered back. Suddenly the blunette felt a hand on his other shoulder and turned his head to look at Bryan.

"That tiger-demon is really into you, isn't he," the purple haired demon said in a low voice, smirking. On his other side, Kai heard Tala snigger and whisper:

"Told you so..."

'Wonder what they're talking about,' Rei thought to himself as he walked behind the whispering trio. Suddenly they all turned and looked at the poor, surprised tiger. Tala was smirking, Bryan tried to stay indifferent and Kai narrowed his eyes. Rei felt a blush creep onto his cheeks and he quickly looked away.

Tyson looked at Max who could but shrug at the display the older demons were putting on. They would have asked Kenny, but the human seemed to be in too deep thoughts for them to reach him.

_**TBC…**_

_**I would probably have posted this ages ago, but my Word went bye bye.**_

**_I've done a small sort of summary of the story, and I think it's going to be about 9 or 10 chapters long. Thanks for the reviews, and I'll update whenever I can. Oh, and by the way. I'd remember someone asking about Kai. The truth about him should come in either the 6th or 7th chapter._**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ch. 5**_

Kenny could almost exactly guess what was happening as he looked at the tiger-demon. It was so predictable. Firstly, there was the slight glow in Rei's eyes whenever he looked at Kai for a longer period of time. Secondly, the tiger couldn't keep his eyes off the demon that still remained a mystery. Rei was falling for Kai. And he was falling hard.

There was one other thing that bothered the priest in training. Kenny had the distinct feeling that they were being lied to. The human suspected that the whole quest was just one big lie, but he didn't have any evidence to prove it. Neither did he understand **why** Mr. D. would lie about something like this. So he kept his suspicions to himself, for the time being.

Tyson and Max where having the time of their life while talking about anything and nothing. Tyson was flailing wildly with his arms, nearly hitting Max in the process as he told the shield-demon about the training with his grandfather. Max was simply laughing at the dragon's eagerness. It was evident that the two of them were becoming very good friends. Rei smiled occasionally at the younger demons, but stayed mostly out of the conversation.

As the day went by, the friendship between Max, Kenny and Tyson grew. Of course they would have liked to count the others as their friends as well, but as it was, Rei kept more or less to himself, while the forest-demons including Kai and Tala made their own little group.

The eight demons and one human walked the entire day, only stopping a few times so that Kenny (and Tyson since the dragon was a real sloth) could rest a little. At one point Spencer even offered to carry the priest so that they could keep moving. An offer which Kenny respectfully declined.

The forest turned out to be quite big and hadn't it been for the forest demons the group of adventurers would most probably have gotten themselves lost. With Bryan in the lead they reached the other side of the forest by nightfall, just like Kai had promised.

"We'll rest here," Kai said and let his bag slid to the ground.

"Finally..!" Tyson groaned and fell on his back. Kenny looked towards where they were heading but couldn't distinguish any lessening of the trees that would have shown that the forest was ending. The priest shrugged and sat down on the ground where Tala with years of experience made up a fire. It didn't take long for the half dried wood to burst into flames.

As everyone gathered around the warmth, Rei noticed Tala, Bryan and Kai discussing something in hushed voices. The tigers sharp hearing picked up the words 'stay', 'danger', 'hunters' and 'mask' before the three seemed to come to an agreement.

"What are you thinking about, Rei?" Kenny asked softly. Rei glanced at the priest in training, startled that he'd been caught.

"What do you think about Kai and Tala," he wondered. Kenny tried not to look at the demons in question as he answered.

"I don't know…" he admitted quietly. "I sense something really weird in Kai, but I can't place my finger on it. And even if it doesn't seem like it, I think Tala and even Bryan and the other forest-demons seem really protective of him." Rei nodded.

"I've sensed it too… It's like he doesn't belong in this world, and the others are trying to hide it…" he whispered, looking at the bluenette. "I'm also starting to have my doubts about this entire mission."

"Me too…" Kenny agreed. "They're hiding something."

Suddenly Tyson's voice rose, most likely to try and engage the others into his discussion with Max:

"My grandfather told me once that a long time ago, demons actually had king!" The entire group turned to look at him in various degrees of surprise. …And some with a "No Duh"-expression. Tyson mistook it for interest and continued:

"According to him the last of the royal bloodline were slaughtered some years before I was born. Before that the king went insane and tried to prevent his son from taking the throne. Grandpa said that the king sent out assassins to kill his son, his son's wife and their only child. Apparently the king disappeared the same night that the heirs died."

"I've heard about it too," Max spoke up. "Apparently demons used to live among humans during that time. Some say that the humans didn't like the demon king's power so they sent out hunters to kill the bloodline." Kai stared into the small fire and slowly shook his head, though no one except for Tala noticed. Kenny also shook his head, a bit more visibly.

"No, that's not entirely true," he said. "The demons' royal race was, to the humans, a symbol of eternal life and unlimited power. Besides, hunters didn't exist before long after. From what I heard, demons that were tired of monarchy were responsible for the king's disappearance."

"Well, there **is** a nasty rumor about **cat-demons** killing the king's only heirs," Bryan remarked, sending Rei a dirty look. Kai seemed to twitch slightly and stared at the falcon with an unreadable expression. Tala wrapped his arms around his younger brother and rested his chin on Kai's shoulder. The red eyes turned to look at Rei, waiting for an answer. The tiger-demon seemed both offended and annoyed.

"Not true!" the black-haired demon snapped. "Cat-demons have always been loyal to the true king! It's the **human** rulers that we cannot stand!" Tala could feel the tension in Kai, even though the bluenette hid it well, so he decided to ask the question he, Kai and the forest-demons were all anxious to know, adding some sarcasm into his voice as he did. After all, anger usually speaks the truth.

"So you're saying: If the king suddenly reappeared to claim the throne, all cats would stop rebelling?" Rei didn't even hesitate before answering.

"If it were the true king, then Yes." After saying this, the tiger-demon paused and looked at the position the two brothers were in. For a short moment he wondered what it would be like to hold Kai the way Tala did, but then he turned his eyes away, partly because he was still upset, partly because he felt slightly jealous. There was an odd silence surrounding the group after that, and feeling unnerved by it, Kenny decided to continue the story:

"Anyway, it seemed demons and humans ended up blaming each other and finally the hunters were established and all demons were driven to the mountains." Bryan let out a dry laugh and leaned his back against a tree.

"You speak like one who reads history, and makes the reality less bad than it actually was," he pointed out with a sour look.

"Well it's not like I could have experienced it myself," the brunette answered a bit bitterly. "I'm **human**! I'm younger than Tyson and Max put together!"

"What about you, Rei?" Tyson wondered.

"Yeah, you're old enough to have lived then," Max agreed. Rei shook his head with a sigh.

"I was too young to remember," he said.

"But we weren't," Bryan muttered. And again the odd silence settled over the group.

That night Tala snuggled up next to Kai instead of Bryan. The redhead felt that his brother needed the comfort.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Ch. 6**_

Morning came, perhaps a bit too soon for the tree youngest adventurers. The small fire had gone out some time in the early hours, still, Bryan poured water over the blackened wood, just to be sure. Looking around himself now, Kenny understood why he hadn't noticed the end of the forest the night before. The thick growth of the woodland ended so suddenly, it was like someone had just decided: "This is where the open land begins."

Kai cast one glance towards the open field and pulled the hood of his deep blue cloak over his head to cover his hair and cast a shadow over his face. Tala started to gather the long scarf of his silver-white cape.

"I bet you'll find your way from here on," Bryan said as he watched everyone prepare to leave. "So you take care now."

"You're not coming with us?" Kenny wondered. He had simply assumed that the forest demons were joining the quest. As if reading the priest's mind, Bryan shook his head and said:

"Nah, the forest is our territory. And besides, you've got more than enough people to complete this mission." Rei secretly cheered. He didn't like Bryan, mostly due to the accusations the night before.

"So, Kai, you've better come back in one piece," the purple haired demon continued, raising his voice. "Other vice, who will hand over Tala at our Mating Ceremony?" Tala froze and stared in disbelief at Bryan who seemed to blush.

"When you return," the falcon started and cleared his throat. "We'll go back to Daemon and have a proper Mating Ceremony. 'Cause I know how much you want one…"

Tala snapped out of his shock and with a big grin he lunged forward to give Bryan a deep kiss filled with gratitude.

"Thanks, love," he said softly and hugged the falcon. "We'll be back in a few days. I promise. And things will be so much better for us."

"You'd better be back," Bryan muttered. "'Cause other vice I'll come and hunt you down." Tala laughed and slowly let go of his chosen mate who helped the redhead tie the scarf securely around his face.

"Let's go," Kai's ordered. Rei's sensitive ears detected a hidden softness in Kai's voice. 'I guess he really cares for his brother,' the tiger-demon found himself thinking. 'Could he ever care for someone else just as much? He just seems so cold.' Rei had to shake his head as their little group moved out from the protective shades of the forest. Yes, he liked Kai. He had a weakness for hot and mysterious, apparently. But he had to stop thinking about the leader in that way. He didn't even know Kai. He didn't know if he was to be trusted, especially since Rei definitely didn't trust the mission.

It seemed like only moments after they stepped into the sunlight that Kai withdrew back into his shell that only his brother could reach through. The group glanced back towards the forest a couple of times as they walked, but the forest demons were nowhere in sight.

"Be careful," Kai suddenly said. "Bryan warned me that there are hunters roaming around these parts of the land. We'd better not attract unwanted attention." The others nodded in agreement.

"So, Kenny, aren't you supposed to be our map?" Tyson asked, wanting to break the silence. "How much further until we reach the goblin cave?" Rei winced and tried to motion for the dragon to lower his voice. The tiger-demon had encountered some hunters once before, and he didn't look forward to meeting them again. In truth, most of the cat-demon clan had been whipped out that faithful day.

"Where are we heading towards now?" Max added in a lower voice, his blue eyes darting back and forth over the field. Kenny was silent for a moment as he conjured a mental image of the map Mr. D. had shown him before the quest.

"If we continue straight forward over the field and those hills," he said and pointed towards the direction they were heading. "We'll come to a lake. East towards from there is the cave Mr. D pointed out.

"It's about half a day's journey to the lake, and at least one more day before we reach the cave." Kai nodded his head slightly and Tyson groaned.

"We'll rest at the lake," the leader said.

"But that's half a day!" Tyson whined.

"No shit, dragon-boy?" Tala remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

On Kai's orders, and some backup from Tala and even Rei, the group continued their travel until they reached a beautiful sapphire-blue lake. Not once did they let their guard down, knowing that the hunters were a constant threat along the area. They were, however, forced to make a few stops every now and then, for Kenny's sake. About halfway to the lake, Tala picked up the protesting priest-in-training so that they could keep moving swiftly over the hills they had seen earlier, and out of plain sight.

Tyson more or less fell to the ground and leaned against an old oak when the break was ordered. Max slumped next to his newly found best friend and Kenny joined them. Rei sat down with a bit more grace next to another oak near the lake. Tala followed Kai up on a large flat rock and lay down with his head in the blunette's lap.

"We can rest for half an hour or so, and fill our water supply before we leave," Kai said, looking over the silent lake.

"I suggest we use this time to eat," Tala continued. "We've just got to make sure **Tyson** doesn't eat **all** our food." The redhead snickered at his own words as he dug out an apple and a knife from his pack. Rei watched with slight jealousy as Tala cut the apple into pieces and reached up to feed them to Kai. For a second or so Rei saw himself lying in Kai's lap, feeding the leader pieces of apple. The image was broken when Kai snapped at Tala to stop "acting like a love sick whelp just because Bryan proposed." The tiger hid his smile behind a piece of dried meat.

It was just one of those perfect days. The simple food tasted great for the hungry travelers. The water in the gem-like lake was cool and refreshing. The sun was shining warmly, yet the soft breezes kept the air at a comfortable temperature. The birds were singing in the trees. The tree youngest were happy and relaxed. But all of it had Rei on edge. It was too peaceful. Like the calm before the storm. The tiger realized he wasn't the only one suspicious. Kai and Tala, who had both grown up in the wild, felt that something was about to happen.

Keeping his senses alert, Rei leaned forward to refill his veil with the crystal clear water of the lake.

"Yo!" a voice suddenly said from behind Rei. The tiger startled and nearly fell into the lake. The voice laughed as Rei whirled around to face the stranger. How did he get behind the tiger demon without anyone noticing? The other members of his team seemed just as confused. The blond boy laughed again and gracefully stepped up to stand right next to Rei.

"I'm Enrique," he introduced himself. "What might your name be, pretty?" Rei gave the boy a suspicious look. The boy wasn't wearing anything except for a pair of pants made of a thin fabric. Water was dripping form his entire form and the tiger guessed that Enrique must have swum up from the lake, which was also the only explanation for his sudden appearance.

"My name is Rei," the tiger finally said and took a few steps away from the blond, and the lake. His senses were warning him, but he wasn't sure of what, yet.

"Have you been traveling for long?" Enrique asked with a smile. Rei shook his head no, but Tyson decided to take part of the conversation.

"Actually we're from Daemon," the dragon announced. "That's two days from here!" Enrique cast Tyson a look and a smile.

"Yes, I know. I've heard of it."

"I bet you have," Kai spoke from where he stood next to Tala, by the rock they had rested on. Enrique turned towards the hooded leader and gave him a flirtatious wink:

"Well hello there, dark and mysterious!"

It was impossible to see Kai's expression, but something told the group he was rolling his eyes in annoyance. Enrique didn't seem to take notice, though. He simply smiled.

"Would the lot of you like to join me for a swim this wonderful day?" he asked and gestured towards the lake with his hand. "The water is really refreshing." Tyson and Max's eyes lit up and they were about to agree when Kai answered.

"A swim would sound great, except…" the blunette started.

"…You're probably planning to drown us and eat us," Tala finished. At Enrique's shocked look he added: "Yeah. Bryan warned us about you too."

Max and Tyson stared at the blond demon with wide eyes. Kenny looked absolutely abhorred.

"You're… You're a demon! You wouldn't actually eat your own kind, would you?" the priest-in-training asked. Enrique's smile had died and his blue eyes narrowed.

"Well, there isn't much of a choice, is there?" he hissed. "Humans avoid these parts, and the hunters scare away all the animals. And quite frankly, no one really cares these days.

"In case you haven't noticed, the demons are on the brink of a civil war! Daemon is falling to pieces, and those weak human rulers that are chosen can't do anything except die after a few years. Though admittedly, choosing a temporary **demon** ruler would just make things worse." Enrique sniffed in distaste and leaned back with his arms crossed over his bare chest.

"Worse?" Max wondered. "How so..?"

"Most demons would be angered to have someone outside the royal bloodline sit at the throne, and having so much power," Kenny answered. "It could end up in rebellion and complete chaos. And even worse: The demon could decide to use their power to destroy a rivaling family. Like cats and dogs. No offence."

"The kid's got it right," Enrique commented. Before anything else was said, Kai raised his hand as a signal. They really didn't have much time to chat.

"Let's go," he said. "We still have a long way ahead of us."

Enrique, the snake-demon, didn't utter a word of protest when the group of adventurers left him.

**TBC…**

**Right… I got my computer worked out, but I still can't promise you a regular update. (When have I ever?) I know there isn't much happening in this chapter, and I myself am pretty disapointed in it, but at least it's an update. In the next chapter of 'Survival' Kai gets into a tight spot, literally, and under Tala's lead, the group must reveal their strength.**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Ch. 7:_**

Once the group set camp at a secluded spot behind some boulders at the outskirts of a smaller forest, Kai disappeared into the night. Tala cast a worried look towards where his brother had gone, and moved then to help the others prepare for the night. Kai needed time to think. He knew that the situation of the demons and Daemon was bad, but now that Enrique had said it out loud, only now did it truly sink in. The blunette knew that he, Tala, Bryan, Ian and Spencer were acting selfish. Still, they just wanted to keep things the way they were. They were happy living the way they did. They had a house in Daemon and a home in the forest.

They had actually planned to leave Daemon altogether, and build a small house in Bryan's forest for them all to live in. Maybe, Kai thought, they could still complete the plan. He could see Bryan and Tala sharing a room and act as if they were father and mother of the house, taking care of everyone. Ian and Spencer would probably each have their own room, simply because they always ended up fighting. Kai's room would be turned towards the west because he loved to see the sunset. And he could imagine Rei there as well, sharing his room. Rei would probably come with him if he asked. The tiger had seemed reluctant to take over the clan after all. And besides, Kai didn't need Tala to tell him Rei was hot. The demon was a rare beauty of gold and onyx. His every movement was made with grace. And yes, Kai knew he was being sentimental and wistful, but he couldn't help it. Especially considering that he might lose Rei, lose everything, once the truth came out.

The blunette stopped and looked around him. In his thoughts, he had wandered quite far into the forest. Also, he wasn't alone anymore. Kai considered fighting but realized that alone he stood no chance. The glowing red eyes quickly noted that he was surrounded. These were all skilled hunters in their prime. That left only one escape route possible. One that Kai wouldn't even have considered had the situation been less desperate. Just as the first arrows sliced through the air, golden and red feathers erupted from Kai's body.

Tala was pacing back and forth, making the rest of the team nervous as well. Every now and then he would mutter something like: "Where are you, Kai" or "He should know better, disappearing like that." It wasn't long before Tala's restlessness had Rei fidgeting. Kenny had long since given up trying to calm the wolf-demon. Suddenly the redhead threw his head back and let out a long, sorrowful howl. What followed was a silence that made Tala pale.

"What's wrong?" Tyson asked. His words nearly drowned in the next desperate howl. Again only silence answered.

"Kai isn't answering," Tala told the group. "He always answers."

"Maybe he doesn't want to," Tyson said.

"Or maybe he can't," Rei concluded, voicing Tala's fears. Tala readied himself for the third howl when the scream of a great prey bird echoed through the forest. Tala's heart nearly stopped.

"Tyson, change! Fly over the forest and take Max with you," the wolf ordered. His voice was cold and even, with a hint of fear hidden in it. It was the undertone of fear that made the others listen to him. "You too, Rei. And take Kenny. We need to find Kai."

Within an instance the pale, red-haired boy was gone. And a big white wolf sprinted into the forest. Tyson's body stretched until it filled the hidden camp. The great, blue dragon lowered enough for Max to climb up right behind its enormous head, and then took of towards the sky. Rei was not far behind as he felt his body grow. His skin tickled as the pelt grew out and within a moment a large white tiger allowed a small human to climb onto its back before running into the forest with powerful strides.

Tala knew that the others couldn't hear what he had heard in the bird's call. He and Kai had been communicating through animalistic sounds since they were children, and understood each other perfectly. Tala had recognized his brother's call for help. And he knew he had to find the blunette no matter the cost.

The wolf made a sudden turn that nearly threw it off balance as a familiar scent hit its sensitive nose. There was blood in the air.

Rei knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut. The feeling was so strong that the only thing on his mind was to find Kai and make sure his subconsciously chosen mate was unharmed. The tiger was so engrossed in the feeling that it nearly missed Kenny's call that Tyson had all of a sudden changed direction. Rei cast a look towards the sky and turned then to follow the blue dragon. Soon enough the smell of blood reached him and he forced himself to stop.

"Get off, Kenny," he growled. "I can smell a battle ahead, and I think it's beyond your capability." The priest-in-training dutifully climbed off the great tiger's back and watched as Rei continued running without him. Kenny knew he wouldn't be of much help in battle, but still, he walked towards where Rei had run off to. The brunette did after all have a vast knowledge of healing herbs that might come in handy.

As Rei closed in on the fight he started to distinguish the different smells of everyone involved. Most of them were human. Above him Tyson circled, preparing to land. The tiger burst through a few bushes and landed on one of the humans. Within a moment he recognised the clothes and weapons of a demon hunter and sunk his teeth into the frail human throat. The hesitation to recognize the hunter had cost him, however, and a sharp dagger made entirely of bone was jammed in his side. Rei knew it could be dangerous, but it was no time to worry about the injury. From the corner of his eyes he saw Tala break the neck of a hunter with his powerful jaws before immediately going after another. He didn't see Kai anywhere. There was however a strong scent of blood coming from a small, all too small cage made of demon bones and metal. Rei could only guess that Kai lay there, transformed. And that Kai's transformation was smaller than his human form. The others seemed to have come to the same conclusion. Tala fought to kill as many as possible, and keep the hunters away from the cage. Once Tyson came low enough, Max jumped down and transformed into his shield-demon self, placing himself to protect the cage, therefore giving Tala and Rei more freedom to fight. Tyson swept over the ground, catching two hunters in his jaws, and crushing them in one bite. Rei could smell from the blood that dripped from the dragon's mouth that Tyson hadn't managed to make his move without acquiring harm to himself as well. They all knew, either from experience or stories that they had to kill all hunters at once. If one escaped they would return with a stronger force to take revenge on all demons in their path.

Luck wasn't smiling at the group of adventurers. Rei saw, as he crushed the scull of the last remaining hunter, tree, maybe four managed to get away. The injury in his side hurt too much for him to follow, and the trees were too thick for Tyson's large body. Tala had already returned to his humanoid form and limped over to the small cage. The wolf-demon nearly tore the construction open and carefully reached in to pull out whatever there was. Rei was faintly aware that Kenny had reached the battlefield, but the cat-demon focused on what Tala took into his arms as he turned back into a human. Tyson and Max had also changed, and both looked at the cage in anticipation. Hadn't Rei already been sitting because of the wound, his legs would have given up from under him when he saw the creature. It was covered in golden and red feathers. The delicate bird head rested limply on Tala's shoulder. Its left wing was pierced through with an arrow. Tala carefully broke the arrow head off and pulled it out. The bird, the phoenix made a small sound and its eyes opened to look at its brother. Slowly the feathers disappeared and were replaced with pale skin. The eagle sized bird grew out and within a moment it was replaced with a blue-haired boy. Kai opened his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. Instead the once strong leader fell unconscious. Kenny hurried over to the two brothers and quickly inspected the blunette.

"He's been poisoned," the priest said. "Hunter's do that to their prey occasionally. Luckily I and Mr. D. prepared for this. I have an antidote." Tala nodded and slowly rose to his feet, with Kai in his arms.

"Tyson, change again. We need to get back to our camp. It's too dangerous to stay here," the redhead said. "You'll have to carry Max, Kai and me." Tala turned to look at Rei and the dagger in his side. "Can you manage back with Kenny?" he wondered. Rei carefully pulled out the blade, hissing slightly in pain before presenting their temporary leader with a shaky smile.

"Yeah. I'll manage," the tiger assured. Tala didn't look convinced, couldn't really do anything given the situation.

"Don't push yourself, Rei," he warned. "We still need you on this quest. Kai needs you." Max and the newly changed Tyson exchanged curious looks. The blond shrugged and climbed up behind the dragons head. Then he helped Tala lift the unconscious Kai onto Tyson's back. Once the redhead was securely seated with the phoenix in his arms the dragon took off into the sky. Tala gave Tyson quick directions to fly a bit past the camp and land in the middle of the trees to confuse possible hunters.

Rei closed his eyes and changed into his tiger form and lay down so that Kenny could climb onto his back. To the cat-demons surprise, the young priest kneeled next to him and gently applied a salve over the gaping wound.

"It'll stop the bleeding until we reach the camp," the brunette said and carefully covered the wound with a fist sized leaf. "I'll take a better look at it when we reach safety." Rei nodded and once Kenny was safely on his back he sprinted off towards the camp.

The two arrived before anyone else did, so while Rei was turning back into his humanoid self, Kenny revived the fire and started brewing the antidote for Kai. Once the priest was content with the potion bubbling over the fire, he moved on to ready a paste for Rei's wound. The cat-demon watched Kenny absentmindedly. Perhaps what worried Rei the most was that the injury didn't bother him half as much as the feeling of betrayal born from the revelation of a live phoenix. All this time a member, rather the **crown price** of the royal family had been travelling with them, without them knowing.

Oh, Tala knew. And surely Bryan, Spencer and Ian did as well. Probably even Mr. Dickenson. And that meant that Rei had been right. The quest had been a lie all this time. The quest was a lie. Kai was a lie. **Everything..!** And yet, Rei was so painfully aware of why no one had been told. It was to protect the king's only living heir. The tiger was also pained by the thought that Kai was completely out of his league.

'I knew i shouldn't have gotten attached to him...' he thought bitterly. The black-haired boy nearly jumped when Kenny kneeled next to him.

"Take of your shirt," the brunette ordered. "I need to clean the wound and bind it." While speaking he placed down two bowls, one containing boiled water and a clean rag and the other containing the paste, onto the ground and then dug out a few rolls of Band-Aid. With some help from Kenny, Rei carefully slipped out of his shirt.

"Don't worry about me," the cat-demon answered. "I can take care of myself. You should worry about the antidote instead. Besides, I can hear the others approaching now."

As proof of Rei's words, Tala ran into the camp, carrying Kai on his back and closely followed by Max and Tyson. The redhead carefully placed his brother down next to the fire and with one last concerned look at Rei's injury, Kenny hurried over to lift the antidote from the fire and rinse the liquid from the herbs.

"Max, could you help Rei with his wound?" the priest said more than asked over his shoulder. The blond nodded and sat down next to the tiger. Rei insisted on cleaning the wound and applying the paste himself, but he allowed the shield-demon to Band-Aid his torso.

"What was the real reason for this trip?" he asked, looking directly at Tala. Although, it was more of a glare than a regular look. At first it seemed like Tala hadn't heard him, but after a while he answered:

"I'll tell you once Kai wakes up. I'd like my brother to be able to speak on his own behalf." Rei forced himself to understand the wolf's point of view. Tyson tried to protest but Max quickly shushed him. The shield-demon might not have fully comprehended everything that was going on, but he caught on to the sober air surrounding the two older demons and the human. After a few moments of silence, Rei spoke up again:

"Even if we're hidden now, the hunters are still a threat. We need to place out guards." Tala nodded in agreement. He looked at the three younger demons closely before making his decision as temporary leader of the group.

"I and Max will take the first watch," he said with a pointed look at the Band-Aids covering Rei's abs. "Rei and Tyson will rest now and we'll wake you up when your turn comes. Kenny, you stay with Kai in case something happens. Any objections? No? Good."

Rei didn't think he would manage to sleep that night. Maybe it was the aftermath of the adrenaline rush or Kenny's drug, but soon after laying down and closing his eyes, the cat-demon was fast asleep. He was woken up later by Max to take over the watch.

Sometime during the night Kenny detected a rise of fever in Kai. It was a good sign, the priest-in-training said. It meant that the poison was clearing from his body.

Though revealed that their leader would survive, Rei couldn't help but dwell in the depressive thought that he had been right. He should never have fallen for Kai. Kai needed an heir to take over the throne. The phoenix needed a female. Rei and the prince were simply not meant to be.

**TBC...**

**Sorry... I know I promised two weeks, and it's already been three weeks since my last update, but to my defence I can say that my muse was slacking. He ran off somewhere and delayed the progress of the story. But here you have it. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Ch. 8**_

Pain… There was so much pain. Was he dead? No, it wouldn't hurt as much if he were. Then… was he dying? It sounded more probable.

'And just as Bryan proposed to Tala,' the blunette found himself thinking. 'I wanted to be part of the ceremony…' The image of Tala and Bryan faded, but didn't quite disappear. It stayed in the back of the boy's mind as another smiling apparition made himself known. 'I wanted a chance to choose my mate as well… I guess I already chose him. I wish I could have told Rei…'

"Nngh…" 'Ah, it seems I can still make some sound.'

"Kai..? Kai, are you alright?"

'Hm? Is that Tala? Trust him to be there.' "Bro… ther..?"

"I'm here, baby-bro!" Tala felt relief filling him. Kai was awake. His brother would be alright. Slowly the ruby eyes opened and the owner flinched from the morning light.

"'s Rei..?" the blunette murmured. "Wanted t'say 'sorry'." Tala blinked in surprise and lifted his gaze to look at the tiger-demon in question. It took a while for Rei to recover his ability to speak, but once he did he had to ask:

"What for?"

"For lying…" Kai answered tiredly. Tala placed his hand over Kai's eyes to close them.

"I think you should go back to sleep, baby-bro," he said softly. "You're still not well." The phoenix nodded slightly, regretting it when a wave of pain flooded his head. Not long after, Kai was sound asleep.

The next time the blunette woke he felt much better. Glancing around, he saw Rei sitting on the edge of the camp, away from the others, with a troubled look on his face, and Tala standing on the far opposite side, avoiding contact with the other members of the team as well. Kai felt torn between calling for his brother and walking up to his preferred mate to ask if he was alright. Finally the phoenix reasonable side won and he called out:

"Tala, are you sulking?" The four demons and one human started and soon Kai found himself hugged by Tala and fussed upon by Kenny and questioned by Max and Tyson. Only Rei kept his distance. Kai noticed this and felt a tear in the very bottom of his soul.

'He is angered,' the phoenix thought sadly. 'Angered by the lies we told them and disappointed in the revelation of who his future king is.'

"I'm fine. Just let me sit up, will you?" Kai snapped, trying to hide the hurt within.

"You seem well enough," Kenny agreed. "Almost a full recovery overnight... Amazing!" Kai moved to lean against a three and accepted the small breakfast offered by Max.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Rei suddenly spoke up. "But if You are feeling well enough, Tala promised us an explanation once You awoke." Kai did his best not to flinch at the sudden cold formality Rei showed.

"Kai, you're… you're a phoenix, aren't you?" Max asked. After a nod from Kai, Tala started explaining:

"Yes, Kai is a phoenix, and therefore the crown prince. We had to keep this secret for the sake of Kai's safety. In truth, Mr. D. sent us out to reclaim the throne that is rightfully Kai's."

"Holy- I thought the phoenixes were all extinct!" Tyson exclaimed. Kai shook his head.

"I am the last one," he said. "Voltaire, my grandfather, went insane and forced my parents to escape into the wilderness where they were killed. Whether it was Voltaire who sent out assassins or simply a group of hunters I cannot remember. I was too young when it happened."

"Whoa, that's just…" Tyson mumbled in amazement. Then he perked up as if remembering something. "It's the first time I've seen a phoenix! I mean, why aren't there any pictures or anything?" Max nodded.

"The younger generations haven't actually been told about the royal bloodline," the blond agreed. "Why is that?"

"Actually, **commoners** are not told about the royal bloodline, for means of protection," Tala answered. "Rei, as the heir of the cat-demon clan, and Kenny, as a priest, have had a different education than you two. And don't even dare asking me why."

"The clan leaders used to be royal advisors," Kai injected. "That's why, according to Dickhead." By now the blunette had finished eating and carefully stood up, testing his balance. When everything seemed to be well he looked at the people surrounding him." It's best if we continue now. Though I understand fully if you would rather return home, now that you know the truth."

Without the slightest hesitation Rei stepped forward and kneeled in front of Kai, bowing his head as he spoke.

"I've said before that the cat-demons have always been loyal to the demon kings and queens," he stated. "And so shall I remain a loyal servant to you, my prince." It was painful for Rei to force himself to speak so coldly when he felt like screaming and crying. And it was painful for Kai to hear such an emotionless statement when all he wanted was to run away with Rei and deny the burden placed on his shoulders.

"What about the gold for the wraiths protecting our village?" Max wondered. Kai swallowed and forced his voice to remain calm and even as he answered:

"Once I am king, the wraiths will not be needed." Hearing this, Tyson jumped up and made a formal bow, just like his grandfather had taught him.

"Great!" the dragon laughed. "I never liked those things anyway."

In the end, everyone agreed to complete the journey that would change the fate of demons and humans alike. As the group packed their bags and readied themselves to leave, Tala managed to finally talk with his brother in private.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Kai looked at his brother, considering saying "I'm fine" but before he could stop himself he admitted: "He will not forgive me. I wanted him, Tala, as an equal, not a servant…"

Tala tried to smile reassuringly, knowing what Kai meant. But try as he might, the redhead could not think of anything to say in such a situation. Tala had been just as surprised by the sudden coldness from Rei, who had only days before seemed to **like** Kai.

"I wish he'd never been chosen into this group," Kai continued, pouring out his sorrow now that the dam had been opened. "I wish we'd never met." Closing his eyes the blunette whispered. "I wish I weren't a phoenix!" Tala did not answer. Beside him, Kai covered his head with his hood. Then the king's heir stood up and walked over to the campfire to make sure it was properly extinguished.

"You shouldn't give up, though," Tala said sadly. He wasn't sure whether his younger brother heard him or not.

**TBC…**

**Is a****nyone still reading this? Hello..? Anyone there?**

**Short, I know. But hey! At least it's a chapter. And I promise, the next one will be longer. This story is also nearing an end. I'm really grateful to all those who has reviewed, and for those who had the patience to wait for the this and future chapters during my year of a dried up inspiration.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Ch. 9**_

As sunset coloured the western horizon, the travellers reached the area where the cave they sought should have been. It was Rei's sharp eyes that noted a sinking by the side of a tree covered mount.

"That has to be it," Kenny affirmed as he recalled the maps Mr. D. had shown him before departure.

"It seems to be abandoned," Kai said. "But let's move away from the path to be on the safe side. Tala…" Kai nodded his head to his brother, "you scout ahead. Return immediately if you see something." Tala nodded, completely serious. He took off his silver cape and handed it to Kai before sneaking away silently as a shadow. Kai pushed the redhead's cape in his pack and motioned for the rest to follow him.

"Where does that cave lead?" Tyson wondered.

"To an underworld city," Kai answered. "It was supposed to be a refuge for demons in case of a catastrophe. However, at the disappearance of the phoenixes the demons locked themselves within Daemon in the mountains.

"Now there is no telling who has taken over our sanctuary." The others sensed a slight anger in Kai, as if the prince was offended by the mere thought of someone else living in the underworld city. The small group moved through bushes and behind trees, staying out of sight. As they neared the cave, only a few meter away from the opening, Kai ordered a stop.

"We will wait for Tala to report before we go any further," he explained in a low voice.

"What if something happens to him?" Max whispered. Kai, realizing that the younger demon was slightly afraid, gave an encouraging smile.

"Tala is a survivor from the wolf-demon clan massacre, he has lived most of his life in the wilderness and is the best scout I have ever met," the blunette said softly. "He's in his element now. Nothing will happen to him." Max smiled as well and gave a nod, trusting their leader.

Rei watched the phoenix from the corner of his eye. Kai was a born leader, strong and courageous. That is what Rei believed at least. The blunette may have been far out of the tiger-demons reach, but at least he could speak his affection through unquestionable loyalty. And as the leader of the cat demons Rei would surely become a royal advisor and he would have a reason to be near Kai every day. Pathetic, yes, but the tiger couldn't care less.

For one moment by accident, or perhaps unknowingly on purpose he locked eyes with the prince. Ruby and gold looked into each other in silence. The tiger felt his gaze soften, and he saw something in those pools of deep red that he couldn't quite catch. Then suddenly, Tala was beside Kai, demanding the leader's attention.

"The place seems empty," the redhead reported. "I went 'till the tunnel separated in two, but didn't see anything." Kai considered this for a moment and then motioned with his hand for everyone to follow.

"I and Tala will go in first. Rei will guard the rear. Kenny, you stay in the middle and close to Max. If anything happens a shield demon will be your best protection. Let's go."

As the group crept through the bushes Tala leaned closer to Kai and whispered: "Your mood seems to have approved." His brother picked up an average sized branch and smiled, a rare, true smile, and whispered back: "He looked at me and… His eyes were glowing, Tala!" The wolf patted Kai's shoulder just as they entered the cave.

"Told you so…"

The floor of the tunnel was uneven and treacherous from centuries of neglecting. It continued in a downward angle for quite a bit and Kai and Kenny did their best to shed some light for those in the group lacking night vision. Kai had lit the top of the branch he'd picked up on fire and Kenny had whispered a prayer to summon a bulb of light. After a long walk, possibly close to half an hour, they came upon the branching Tala had mentioned.

The tunnel leading to the left was large, like a main road, with one row of stone pillars dividing it in two.

The one leading to the right was smaller, about half the size of the left tunnel, and without any further decorations.

"What do you think?" Kai whispered. His words echoed in the silence.

"Let's check the big one first," Tyson murmured.

"There would be sense for the large path to lead to the throne room," Kenny agreed. And so, nervous about breaking the eerie silence, the group started moving. They had not walked far when they were forced to stop. The entire tunnel in front of them lay collapsed and large boulders blocked their path.

"Well, right tunnel it is," Tala said and turned away from the chaos.

"We do not seem to have much of a choice," Rei muttered.

"Let's move," Kai sighed, following Tala. Keeping their original formation the boys turned and ascended down the right passageway. It was wide enough for two to walk side by side, yet Kai nodded for Tala to go ahead. The walls had crumbled at a few places but it was never impassable. A few meters into the darkness they came upon a set of stairs leading further down. Tala sneaked down before the rest, marking the safest steps. The silence surrounding the demons was deafening yet no one dared to say a word to break it. Suddenly Tala returned; swiftly, silently and pale as a ghost.

"A monkey," he hissed. "A flesh-eating giant gorilla!" Just some way down the path!" Rei let out a curse.

"We should turn back," the tiger whispered.

"Exactly! I bet we could dig a small opening to the other tunnel," Tyson agreed. Tala grabbed his brother's arm and leaned closer.

"It's all there," he told the prince. "In the same room as the ape. All the gold and gems and the **throne**!" Only sheer will kept Kai's legs from buckling from under him. Kenny wasn't as lucky and the boy fell to the ground in dismay.

"Everything..?" Kai asked, not wanting to believe their horrible luck. Tala confirmed it with a nod. After one quick glance at the direction they were coming from, Rei abandoned his post and pushed past the younger ones. He then grabbed Kai's shoulder and turned the blunette around to face him.

"It's not worth it," the tiger whispered franticly. "You don't need the throne to claim your place! The demons will accept You as king the moment they find out You're a phoenix!" Kai opened his mouth, looking deep into the golden eyes, but it was Tala who answered.

"It's not the throne, it's the crown," he explained. "The enchantment on it will protect the phoenix wearing it 'till end of time. Without it Kai is vulnerable to assassination attempts."

"Then I will protect You. I will protect You with my life! Don't take the risk with that ape…" Rei was pleading now. Silence rested once again over the adventurers, stretching itself for an eternity before finally broken.

"I need the crown."

Rei flinched at Kai's emotionless tone and slowly took away his hand. It seemed that only Tala realized Kai was in shock. His brother could not manage any emotions at the moment, and so he seemed cold and distant. The redhead watched as Rei lowered his head and heard him whisper "Very well, my Prince." The wolf swallowed and looked away. Things did not look well for any of them.

Kai was quick to come up with a plan. It was daring, but the best they could do given the situation. The entire group sat huddled outside the entrance to the room inhabited by the primate. The light had been extinguished but a slight greenish glow from the room provided enough for all of them to see. Luckily, it seemed to be the only one of its kind close by. With one quick glance inside, Tala sneaked to the other side of the doorway and leaned against the stone wall, waiting for Kai's signal. Kai stayed on the other side of the opening with Rei close by his shoulder. Behind Rei was Max and behind him Tyson and Kenny. The dragon held his sword ready to be drawn though Kai had ordered him to stay and protect Kenny who was their only healer. The phoenix nodded and Tala and Rei started transforming. They were the only ones both strong enough to take on the gruesome ape and small enough to move about in the enclosed space. Kai sat in silence, watching the flesh-eating creature gnaw on some bones, possibly humanoid. He was not as calm as he tried to appear. They had only this one chance, and if they failed, they would all be killed. No person in their right mind would ever challenge this monster. It reacted purely on instincts, and its thick fur and leather like skin made it almost impossible to kill. Combined with its monstrous strength and limitless stubbornness the ape was a killing machine, pure and simple.

With one small signal, the blunette sent his brother and his loved one into battle.

A white wolf ran into the room attempting to bite the ape's ankles, followed closely by a large tiger that with one leap went for a thick and furry throat. As soon as the tiger brushed past him, Kai moved into the room followed by Max. The shield-demon immediately transformed, serving as a guard for Kai and ready to protect the others if need be. Rei felt his teeth sink to the bone in the gorillas shoulder, unfortunately leaving himself open for attack as well. From the corner of his eyes the cat saw Tala pull back after nearly being stomped on by the roaring monster. The wolf had done his job and the gorilla was limping.

"Rei move!" the future king shouted and Rei pushed away using his front paws.

Ten beams of fire hit the confused ape's chest and spread quickly over the coarse fur. Its injured leg gave way and the beast fell to the ground where it could no longer cause harm to anyone. Tyson and Kenny entered the room and with a quick recommendation from Kai, Tyson unsheathed his sword, carefully walked forward and beheaded the still flaming creature. The silence that followed was as unbearable as the stench of burning flesh and hair. Tala, Max and Rei turned back into their humanoid forms. Still, no one spoke. Rei was bleeding from his upper arm where the primate had managed to bite down and Tala held his aching ribs, thinking that one powerful kick must have cracked them. But still. They had fought and survived a giant ape.

"Kenny… take care of… the injured," Kai managed to say in a hoarse voice, trying to deal with the danger he had sent his two most beloved into. The blunette turned and walked past open bags of gold and gems and silverware and goblets scattered here and there. The walls were covered in insects; glowing larva and such, which give of a green light that gleamed on the treasure. Kai stopped in front of a platform and looked upon the throne for the second time for as long as he could remember. But it was nothing as how he remembered it. The chair was dirty and covered in cobwebs and on it sat a mummified body.

"Who is that," Tyson asked, coming to stand next to the platform as well.

"My grandfather," Kai muttered. "Voltaire. Whatever happened to him we will never know." Taking a deep breath of the foul air, Kai stepped upon the platform and moved to stand next to the throne. He hesitated only for a moment before reaching his hand and tugging the tiara-like object from the former king's head. Without the magical item to protect it, the mummified body crumbled into sand. Kai dusted off the crown spun in pure gold. The design was simple, yet more beautiful than any he had seen before. And as if recognizing the fresh aura of a phoenix, the crown seemed to emit a soft glow of its own.

Not being one for ceremonies, and slightly worried that his nerve would fail, Kai pulled the crown on his head. For the others it seemed like nothing happened, but Kai felt the millennia old enchantment flowing through his body, settling in his very blood. A feeling of tranquillity filled him, and he smiled as flames burst from his body, wrapping around him in a protective embrace.

Rei nearly screamed as he saw his love spontaneously combust. Tala sunk to the floor and Kenny, Max and Tyson were in too much shock to even breathe. The fire died and for a few seconds the most incredible sight blessed their eyes. The young blunette's skin was glowing and his eyes were shining like liquid fire. The crown added its own light as did the wings of golden yellow and ruby red feathers growing from the prince's back. The wings disappeared as the glow died, and Kai stood in front of the adventurers in his naked glory, all clothes having been burnt away. Truly, the only thing that seemed to have changed was the sudden appearance of two blue triangles on each cheek. Without shame the phoenix stepped down from the platform and started rooting through chests and trunks before finally finding some clothes that weren't too badly damaged by time. Rei was blushing furiously, looking away awkwardly as Kai redressed in a pair of loose blue pants, a black silk shirt and a pair of black boots. Tala stood up and stumbled over to his brother, poking him in the arm just to make sure he was really there. Suddenly Tyson let out a shout and started to blabber excitedly. He was soon joined by Max. Kai looked at the two younglings and then said to Kenny:

"Didn't I tell you to take care of the injured?" Kenny nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Start with Tala. I wish to talk with Rei in the meantime." Tala gave his dear baby-bro an encouraging pat on the shoulder and walked over to where Kenny stood. Rei fell to one knee as the blunette approached him. The tiger was in the presence of a king now; the first in centuries. Kai opened his mouth to protest but changed his mind and sat down next to Rei, motioning for the other to do the same.

"I don't want you to kneel in front of me," the phoenix said. "Bow all you want if it makes you feel better. But you and Tala are the only ones I never want to see kneeling." Rei bowed his head slightly.

"It's an honour," he replied. Rei watched as Kai sighed slightly, wrinkling his nose at the lingering stench.

"I don't know how best to say this, so I'm going to speak directly," the blunette admitted. "We would make a smart match." Seeing Rei's bewildered expression he explained. "I doubt, with no offence to your kin, that all cat-demons will bow as easily at the sight of a phoenix. But if their clan leader ruled by the king's side, they would have nothing to oppose." Kai paused. It was more difficult than he had expected, and the hardest was yet to come, but the memory from outside the cave encouraged him to speak. "I know you care for me. And I would do everything I can to make and keep you happy."

Rei could not describe his feelings at that moment. It was partly dread, partly joy, partly anticipation. He dared not say anything, opting to wait until Kai elaborated.

"I'm asking you to be my mate," Kai blurted out. Yes… Rei was overjoyed, and fought hard to keep a smile off his face. The black-haired boy forced himself to calm down and think rationally.

"What about Your heir?" he asked. "You will need a female to produce an heir to the throne. Males cannot bear children, therefore our relationship wouldn't last." To Rei's astonishment Kai chuckled.

"I am a hermaphrodite. All phoenixes are," the blunette explained. "It means that I can impregnate myself and give birth. It's been a way to keep the bloodline clean whenever royals wish to marry from outside the kin. Mixed breeds are not allowed the crown, I'm afraid, for political reasons." The phoenix reached over to gently close Rei's mouth that had fallen open, his fingers lingering a few seconds. "Will you accept my proposal, Rei?"

For the first time, Rei smiled openly as he nodded in answer. Kai leaned in and placed a gentle kiss, their first, upon Rei's lips. It was little more than a soft touch of warm, slightly dry lips, lasting less than a second. But no more was needed as warm red eyes locked with glowing yellow ones.

**One last T.B.C. The epilogue, and then I'm done.**** It's way past twelve at night as I'm finishing this, and you people are lucky I've got insomnia. But now I think I've deserved my rest. Early morning tomorrow. Got to go to school and finally finish that stupid project.**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Ch. 10:**_

Mr. Dickenson smiled sadly at the filled throne room. He had personally invited the leaders of every clan, and their closest associates, to attend in a meeting. The guests were beginning to become quite nervous and Dickenson wasn't sure how much longer he could keep them there. However, as he was the current ruler of Daemon; the demon alphas could say and swear as much as they wished, but they could do nothing to him. A little bird, or a large eagle to be exact, had flown through the bedroom window some days ago, and dislodged a very pleasing letter in Mr. Dickenson's lap. By the calculations of both him and the one who wrote the letter had made, this would be the day.

Sighing slightly the temporary king stood up from the throne that wasn't his and raised one hand. The entire room fell silent at once. They were waiting for an explanation for the invitation, Dickenson realized.

"I have news," he began slowly, carefully considering every word. "Some time ago, I sent a group out to recover more treasures for the wraiths guarding our borders." The old man watched each face before him carefully. "It was a lie. This group was not sent to find lost treasures, but something far greater. Now, not too long ago, I received a message that they had acquired what they sought." The alphas waited, some more patiently than others as Mr. Dickenson thought of his next words. "They are to return today. Please, have patience."

Murmurs ran through the crowd. Some were frustrated, some curious. Mr. Dickens turned his head to look out of the windows covering one entire wall of the throne room. The sun was setting behind the mountains, lighting the entire sky on fire. And then, some time later, a smaller demon finally snuck through the doors in the far end and hurried up to the no longer king to announce the new arrivals before rushing back to stand by the doors. Mr. Dickenson smiled happily. It was about time.

"My dear ladies and gentlemen, alphas of the demon clans," the human's voice broke through the mutters and whispers in the room. As he once again gained the demons' attention the old man gestured towards the main doors. The smaller demon nodded once and then opened the double doors wide. "Our heroes have returned."

Not a sound was heard, not a word was said as Kai strode through the doors. The power of a young phoenix radiated from him, demanding respect. The crown, an eternal symbol of the royal bloodline, decorated his head as if it had been forged for that sole reason. The blue markings on his cheeks left no question as to who, or what, this young man was. Next to him walked Rei. The tiger held his head high and the smallest of smiles adored his lips. Behind them came Tala and Bryan, looking every bit as proud as the tiger. And then Kenny, who was blushing at the attention. Tyson, Max, Ivan and Spencer took the rear, all of them grinning as if coming home from a victorious battle.

Demons of all species gave way as the being of royalty and power walked past them towards the throne. Mr. Dickenson bowed to the new king in silent respect, and Kai nodded his acknowledgment. Regrettably, as Kai began to rise the stairs towards the throne, all of his escorts, save for Rei and Tala, had to stop. They could not follow him to the throne at this moment, and they all knew that.

Once reaching the top, Kai turned to look at the crowd. His companions at the bottom of the stairs kneeled, soon followed by Mr. Dickenson. Then, slowly, every demon in the room followed the example, kneeling down in the presence of a king. The blunette took a deep breath and sat down on the throne. Rei gave his mate-to-be a warm look before sitting down at his left side, on the seat of a queen. And Tala, smirking like only a wolf can, sat down by his brother's right side, on the small chair reserved for the main advisor of the king.

Someone raised their voice to cheer for the new King. Others soon joined. Kai watched silently, considering his responsibility. Now was the time to once again unite the clans. Now was the time to fight against the hunters. A new era was dawning upon the demons of Daemon.

_**The E**__**nd.**_

_**My apologies for the short chapter. I'm beating my bare hands against an author's block. Nonetheless, I wanted to make this a beautiful, fantasy-like ending. **_


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